Friday the 13th of July…I thought I wouldn’t have to go through this range of emotions for a couple more years.

Similar to Will’s post about Harmoni, our Little Tragedy #3, Tiki succumbed to a similar fate. We were watching Tiki for a friend of mine as she prepared to move to Texas. We had him for a couple of weeks and really grew to like him despite his wanting to go outside, several escape attempts and howling in the middle of the night.

He was a thin little guy, but he held his own against our six other kitties. He immediately gained the respect of the others and even tried to put the moves on Patches. It wasn’t too long before he claimed a spot on the bed. I knew things were not good when he started to sleep a lot and had no desire to play outside - it was an all too familiar feeling. I told his owner the night before about his condition and she decided to take him to the emergency vet. Only 3 out of the 7 times that I have visited an emergency vet have I walked back out with my pet. Although Tiki wasn’t mine, he became part of the family and we all grew to love him in that short amount of time. I really wish I had a definitive answer on what the problem was, but that was not my decision to make despite my pleas.

I cannot tell you how much I hate the fact that we have the ability to take a life. I don’t agree with the practice and would rather have the animal pass on its own. When Pooch died last year, she waited until she took her last walk, went to her bed and went to sleep forever. We knew it was a matter of time and she went on her own terms.

For all of you with pets, take care of them up until their last breath. Don’t put your pet down without knowing what exactly was ailing it. It is the least we can do before taking their life.

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